EURO Major

EURO Major

If you are an undergraduate interested in understanding the forces of politics and culture that shape Europe today, consider a unique degree program and major in Contemporary European Studies (EURO).

As a EURO major, you will deepen your understanding of European issues and current events framed in an academic framework, while developing advanced proficiency in a modern European language.

Students who wish to specialize in modern Europe within a particular discipline (such as Political Science, Economics, or History) are especially encouraged to pursue EURO as a second major. You will have special access to the many resources of UNC’s Center for European Studies, a United States Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center and a European Union Center of Excellence funded by the European Commission.

The EURO degree’s interdisciplinary structure and extensive language training prepare you to join a network of students who have continued on to graduate studies and/or an international career in public policy, government agencies, NGOs, and transatlantic companies.

Meet with an advisor

Students interested in pursuing EURO are encouraged to declare the major as early as possible in their undergraduate career and design a comprehensive and efficient course plan in consultation with the curriculum advisor. If you are interested in meeting with the EURO Advisor, please complete the following form.

Requirements

Complete at least five semesters of a single European language, or fifth semester proficiency documented through university placement tests. Through the advanced level, UNC currently offers:

BOSNIAN-CROATIAN-SERBIAN

CZECH

DUTCH

FRENCH

GERMAN

ITALIAN

POLISH

PORTUGUESE

RUSSIAN

SPANISH

Other languages may be approved upon petition to the EURO advisor. One approved literature course taught in the language may also count as a theme or elective course, if included in the official course lists.

EURO majors are strongly encouraged to apply their language proficiency skills in Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC) courses and complete a Study Abroad Program in the target language.

To provide a strong European background in both historical and contemporary issues, there are two courses required for all majors. Each class is also cross-listed in the Political Science and History departments, respectively, with seats reserved for EURO.
You must complete the following courses:

EURO 239 (POLI 239):
Introduction to European Government

EURO 159 (HIST 159):
Twentieth-Century Europe

EURO majors must select one theme of concentration and take four approved courses in that theme:

Theme 1: Integration and Enlargement

Theme 2: Histories and Cultures

One course must be taken from the theme outside the student’s chosen theme of concentration.

One additional course must be completed from Theme 1, Theme 2, or the list of approved Elective Courses on contemporary Europe. Click here to view a list of all approved EURO courses.

Of these six courses, at least three must be numbered 400 or above.

PLEASE NOTE:

The requirements for the EURO major underwent a streamlining and simplification process for Fall 2014. If you are a current EURO major following the old requirements you may request a change to the new requirements in Tar Heel Tracker. This can be done in one of two ways.

1. Send an email request to the EURO curriculum advisor to submit a plan adjustment in Tar Heel Tracker.

2. Schedule an appointment with Academic Advising so that your ConnectCarolina requirement term can be changed to the new effective date.

If you need access to the old requirement information, please email euro@unc.edu.

Courses

Following are links to current and upcoming semester lists of courses that may be taken to fulfill requirements for the EURO Major.

Summer 2018 courses:

POLI 432 – TOLERANCE IN LIBERAL STATES (MAYMESTER)

MTuWThF 11:30am-2:45pm, Prof. Donald Searing

EURO/ECON 460 – INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS (SUMMER I)

MTuWThF 9:45am-11:15am, Prof. Geertha Vaidyanathan

POLI 433 – POLITICS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (SUMMER II)

online, Prof. Holger Moroff

POLI 255 – INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP TODAY (SUMMER II)

MTuWThF 9:45am-11:15am, Stephanie Shady

GERM 284 – GERMAN POP LITERATURE (SUMMER II)

MTuWThF 9:45am-11:15am, Prof. Priscilla Layne

NOTE: Varying levels of EURO major languages French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese are being offered throughout the summer

Below are the courses that you can take for EURO credit in Spring 2018! Please see the Undergraduate Bulletin for EURO Major requirements and course offerings for the Fall and the Spring semesters.

ITAL 398 – Undergraduate Seminar in Italian

MUSC 284 – Beethoven and His Era

Languages Across the Curriculum or LAC offers students the opportunity to use world languages in a variety of courses outside the language and literature curricula. The one credit hour courses are taught in the target language and give students the opportunity to improve their language skills through practice, like a mini study abroad experience.

ESRA | European Summer Research Award

The European Summer Research Award (ESRA) is a new award created to support one EURO major conducting research in Europe for several weeks over the summer 2018. The awardee must be a UNC student at the time the research is conducted. The award will be in the amount of $3,000 that can go towards airfare, ground travel and accommodations.

Applicants must submit a 5-page research proposal detailing the topic and research methods written with the advice of a faculty adviser. The proposal must also include a detailed travel itinerary and timeline for research. Upon return to campus, the ESRA awardee will submit a 10-page research report of their findings documenting their experience. A project description, the final report, and a personal reflection will be published on our EURO major website and featured in our newsletter.

German Studies Award

The Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures has received generous private support to make possible small, merit-based scholarships for undergraduate majors and minors intent on studying German through a UNC-approved study abroad program in German-speaking Europe. These scholarships are intended to help students with the additional fees that go along with studying abroad; they cannot be used to underwrite a student’s tuition.

Funding for the summer semester and full-year programs are due by March 1, 2018.
Complete applications include the required departmental form, a recent university transcript, and written confirmation that the student has indeed applied to specific study abroad program (e.g., a confirmation letter from a Study Abroad advisor). They should be emailed to gsllscholarship@unc.edu.

Excel@Carolina: EURO-TAM Program

The Center for European Studies is so excited to welcome the third cohort of the Excel at Carolina: EURO program participants! This page is just to get you started.

If you are in high school with an interest in UNC and Europe, you can learn more about the Excel@Carolina program. If selected for our assured admission fast-track, you will have the opportunity to complete your undergraduate and masters degree in five years using the this unique program’s framework.

If you are already a UNC student, the dual EURO-TAM track may still be available to you. Click on the EURO-TAM page or contact us for more information!

Where can I find out…?

CES has a master list of all courses that have been approved for EURO major credit. This list shows what requirement it counts toward, when it is typically offered (fall, spring, summer), and who teaches it. You can find this list here

If you are interested in taking a course that you think should receive EURO major credit (i.e. it is a course directly related to contemporary Europe), come talk to us! You can submit a request to the EURO major advisor for this course to count towards your major.

Social media is a great place to start! CES has a Facebook and Twitter (@UNCEurope) where we post our events, but you can also see all of our in-house and co-sponsored events on our website calendar.

The Center holds quite a number of event throughout the year: special get-togethers for EURO majors, lectures, films; we also co-sponsor a number of series: the Ambassador’s Forum brings Ambassadors to UNC to talk about current affairs, the NC German Seminar Series, and the Gender, War and Culture Series. We’d love to see you there!

Only a select number of EU institutions offer internships to non-European students. You can find a list of the ones that will accept American students here.
By the way, that page is where CES lists all of the external opportunities that we hear about: scholarships, fellowships, internships, travel funding, etc. Check it out sometime.

CES Staff can also help you think about internships and put you in contact with an alum.

Pre-Professional Experiences

Before you land that amazing internship at the EU Delegation or a U.S. Embassy in Europe, you can build your resume by engaging in a pre-professional experience through the Center for European Studies – offered only to Excel@EURO-TAM students.

More information on opportunities is coming soon. Make sure to check back to see what might be a good fit for your interests and the skills you want to develop over the course of your first year at Carolina.

About the Center for European Studies

The Center for European Studies is one of six geographic area studies centers at UNC-CH. The Center for European Studies is the hub for Europe on campus: we run a major and masters program, we conduct events and outreach activities to educate university and community audiences on Europe, and we organize faculty working groups and fund research on European issues.

The Center is one of the few academic units on campus that is not a department yet that offers a major (technically what the university calls a ‘curriculum’): The Contemporary European Studies Major (EURO). We also run the TransAtlantic Masters Program, a unique Master’s program with ten partner sites in Europe. TAM is a fully customizable degree; there are about 350 unique pathways a TAM student could choose depending on where they would want to go and what they are interested in studying.

The EURO-TAM BA/MA combines these two complimentary degrees and, in select cases, allows students to complete both in reduced time through the accelerated 5-year option. Students can complete both degrees in the traditional 6-year plan.

While any student at UNC can apply to be part of the EURO-TAM BA/MA, only pre-selected Excel:Euro program students have access to special opportunities from the Center for European Studies and, upon completion of program requirements, a guaranteed recommendation from the Center to the Graduate School for admission to TAM (subject to successful completion of the Excel:Euro program).

EURO-TAM | Dual BA-MA

EURO-TAM is a unique new program that enables advanced undergraduate students to complete both a bachelor’s degree in Contemporary European Studies and, upon application and admission, the research track of the TransAtlantic Masters Program in reduced time. The combination of EURO-TAM prepares graduates for international careers in a variety of fields including diplomacy, business, policy-making, public service, teaching, and research.

If you are in high school with an interest in UNC and Europe, you can learn more about the Excel@Carolina program. If selected for our assured admission fast-track, you will have the opportunity to complete your undergraduate and masters degree in five years using the EURO-TAM degree framework.

If you are already a UNC student, the EURO-TAM track may still be available to you. Contact us for more information!

Course of study

The EURO Major – The Curriculum in Contemporary European Studies is an interdisciplinary and individualized major designed for students seeking to deepen their understanding of the issues and events currently shaping Europe. See the EURO major webpage for detailed information on EURO curriculum requirements. Eligible EURO majors who maintain a 3.2 GPA and complete all BA requirements before the end of their third year of study may apply for early admission to the TAM program. If admitted, they begin TAM coursework in the fall of their fourth year.

TAM Track II – The research-oriented track of the TransAtlantic Masters Program focuses on European governance and social policy. During the first year of the program, students pursue coursework at UNC-Chapel Hill. The second year consists of study and research at one of three European institutions: the VU Amsterdam, the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, or the Universität Bremen. All classes abroad are offered in English.

Students who enter UNC with sufficient AP credit and foreign language proficiency may be able to complete a double major and a minor before beginning the TAM degree. Click the button below (PDF) for a sample course plan for a student who earns a EURO-POLI double major and a French minor, in addition to the TAM II program.

Application

To be eligible for admission into the EURO-TAM program, candidates must meet the following requirements before beginning the first year of TAM study (that is, by the end of the summer of their junior year):

Complete all General Education and BA degree requirements

Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.2

Students apply for admission to the TAM program in January of their sixth semester. The annual deadline will be posted on the TAM website. Please note that there are special application instructions for early admission to TAM. The admission criteria and required documents are available on the application page of the site.

Current or prospective undergraduate students who are interested in the EURO-TAM BA-MA program should contact EURO advisor Katie Lindner and the TAM associate director Dr. Sarah Hutchison as soon as possible, in order to strategically plan their program of study. Students should continue to meet with the EURO advisor at least once each semester to track their progress.

European Horizons

European Horizons at Carolina is the first UNC student think tank centered around Europe. It aims to educate students about the international implications of current events in Europe; to facilitate discussion about the causes of, effects of, and potential solutions to pressing European issues; and to provide an environment in which those with special interests in Europe can interact and collaborate with each other both socially and academically.

Connect with EHC on Social Media!

Student Profiles

Where can the EURO major take you? Browse these profiles of TAM students and EURO majors for possible career and academic options. Contact us at europe@unc.edu with questions about the major, TAM and professional paths.

JONATHAN BUECHNER

Why the EURO major? The EURO major combined everything I needed at UNC: small classes, individual attention, the ability to take interdisciplinary courses, a focus on extensive language training, and the amazing events offered through the Center.

Why apply to TAM? Being interested in TAM is taking my studies to the next step by taking a more profound look at social policy and having the chance to study abroad again, for a longer period of time.

Study abroad: I chose to study abroad in France because I have always been interested in the university system here and wanted to improve my language skills, especially conversational. So far, it has been an adjustment but I can already tell my French is going to get better. Another goal for my time abroad was to experience as much of a new culture as possible and get out of my comfort zone. I think having this experience will equip me with the necessary skills to have an international career and be able to form connections with people from all different types of backgrounds.

Plans after UNC: I hope to have gained enough experience and understanding of international relations and hope to start out working for an NGO/non-profit focused on social change. After gaining some more professional experience, I then hope to work for somewhere such as the State Department and have an active role in the government as a public servant.

Why EURO?: Completing the EURO major is one of the best decisions I have made. As I student, I was able to take advantage of a range of opportunities offered by the Center – including participating in a week-long Brussels Study Tour – and built relationships with professors, staff, and peers that will continue to help me in the future. The EURO major is perfect for anyone passionate in international/European affairs who wants the ability to get to know professors closely while being challenged to create interdisciplinary and interregional connections.

More details: At ADST, I worked with staff to copy-edit oral history transcripts and publish short pieces on important and interesting moments and figures in U.S. diplomatic history. Following my internship with ADST, I interned with the Atlantic Council, a leading international relations think tank in DC, and worked with the Board Relations and Development team to analyze opportunities for organizational growth and relationship strengthening.
Following my time in DC, I returned to UNC and completed an internship with the Peace Corps while leading a team of students to found the UNC chapter of European Horizons, an international student-based think tank founded by Yale University. My experiences at think tanks and small organizations provided me with the interpersonal and organizational skills needed to lead a team of driven students hoping to foster conversation and concrete policy change. Since graduating from UNC, I accepted a position with Global Communities, an international development organization located in the DC area. My position as a Program Associate in International Operations has provided opportunities in project management for a range of programs in Latin America, and has introduced further opportunities in strategic planning and business development. The knowledge I gained through the EURO major has been especially helpful as it has provided me with the opportunity to share experiences and familiarity on a range of topics related to Europe and European-based development.

Gray Kinnier

Why TAM?: I chose TAM because I believe that the only way to make progress is to do it at a global level. The problems our world faces are larger than the nation-state, and thus the only way to truly succeed is to cooperate across national borders.

Global Experiences: Helped to found European Horizons at Carolina, and participated in a research paper on the effects of the U.S. Presidential Election on the Trans-Atlantic relationship. The paper was presented before the European Parliament Research Service in November of 2016.

Plans After TAM: After graduating from TAM, I would like to pursue a career in international relations and studies, be that through a think tank, an NGO, or the foreign service.

Sofie Senecal

Why TAM? The EURO/TAM Program has been the highlight of my undergraduate experience thus fat at UNC – CES’s academic support, the networking and career opportunities, and the friends I’ve gained are invaluable. I truly believe being a EURO major has set me up for success not only in TAM, but also for the rest of my career.